Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the requirements for schools to have ASD units; if it is demand led; the extent to which this demand is analysed and assessed by her Department to ensure the additional education needs of children in a particular area are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13559/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year; with 1,353 of these catering for children with autism.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements. 

The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need for next year. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. My Department works closely with the NCSE in this regard.

Normally, special class and school places are established with the full cooperation of the schools in areas where they are required.  However there are some parts of the country where the NCSE has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to voluntarily agree to provide special class or school places. 

As Minister for Education & Skills, I have power under Section 37A of the Education Act 1998, to direct a school to provide additional provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. This legislation has been used on two occasions so far. However, it is a measure of last resort and will only be used where it is necessary to secure the establishment of the additional places.